Baby brother
by MysticFantasy
Summary: Bobby, Jerry and Angel all speak at Jack's funeral.
1. Chapter 1: Angel

**Baby brother**

**By: MysticFantasy**

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Disclaimer: (_I own no part of this movie or the characters in it._)

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_**Angel**_

"Only a few days ago, I was the third of four sons. I had two older brothers and one little brother. Now...I don't have a little brother anymore. He was taken away from us. Taken away from his brothers, taken away from his family. In the Marines I see things like this all the time but it doesn't really stick with me. I wouldn't remember it, it would easily be forgotten. But seeing it happen to Jack and seeing him die right in front of me...It's going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Jack was always the best behaved of us. He always made friends easier, seemed to know everyone when we went somewhere together...A lot of the time it was hard to believe that he'd gone through the things he'd gone through as a kid. He didn't deserve any of that. He didn't do anything to deserve that. The stuff that happened to him, it made him real quiet and scared. Made it hard for him to trust anyone.

"He'd always cover his eyes if the rest of us started to play around because he thought that we were fighting. What was normal to us was the opposite for Jack because of what other people had done to him. They completly turned his world upside down. He couldn't tell the difference between real or fake so he never knew if we were just playing around or not.

"When he finally came to us and stayed with us, I knew that things would turn out better for him. Our mom showed Jack that he didn't have to be afraid anymore. He didn't have to worry about whether or not he was going to eat that day, he didn't have to worry about having something nice to wear, he didn't have to worry about being cold at night...

"He starved in those foster homes, wasn't given anything good to wear and they left him to freeze at night. They never cared. With us he always had something to eat, he gained the weight he needed, he had nice clothes to wear everyday, he had a warm bed to sleep in every night and he had a family that loved him.

"We looked after him, took care of him, showed him the ropes. We made sure no bully would go within twenty feet of him, helped him with whatever he needed help with, took him to the doctor when he was sick...We loved him and we always will."

Tears ran down Angel's cheeks as he finished his speech.

"Jack will always be our baby brother. We're gonna miss him everyday of our lives. Bye Jackie. We'll see you again someday."


	2. Chapter 2: Jerry

**Chapter 2**

**By: MysticFantasy**

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**Jerry**

Angel quietly sat down, not bothering to wipe away his tears.

Jerry light sighed as he stood and went to stand at the podium.

"Everyone thought that Jack was just a mess up and nothing else. That he was just a tough headed kid who only knew how to get into trouble. But Jack wasn't those things. It's true that he had a bad past and he did get into trouble every now and then but he was the innocent one of us. He hated any kind of violence and tried to avoid it when possible. He did a great job too. He was the last of us anyone would expect to start a fight. The only times he ever did fight was if he thought his life was at stake.

"When Jack was only eight, he didn't think that he had any purpose in life. He told me that he thought he was useless. That because no one wanted him and that nothing good ever happened to him he didn't have much of a future. He had no idea how wrong he was.

"Because of Jack the rest of us straightened out alot. When he came along we found ourselves making smarter choices about things, not staying out as late as we usually would, not getting into as much trouble as before...Jack was our voice of reason, whether he noticed it or not.

"Angel was doing better in school, I was looking at ideas towards a career and Bobby seemed to have been turned into a positive father figure over night. Because of Jack we were more responsible and it sure made our mom happy.

"One day we were watching tv and a rock video came on. We all noticed Jack light up when he saw the singer playing his guitar. Not long after, we found out that Jackie had a natural talent for music and singing. He decided that he wanted to be a rockstar.

"He was close to it. So close. Only for it to be taken away from him. Jack had so much planned, so much that he wanted. He wanted to rise above everything that happened to him. He wanted to make something of himself and forget his life before he became a Mercer. With every song that he sang, every note that he played on his guitar, he got closer and closer to becoming what he'd dreamed of.

"Now we only have memories of what almost was. He never got to achieve his dreams on the scale that he wanted but we knew that he had already risen above his past. He was a whole new person and he did have fans all around Detroit and New York. We'll always remember him as a rockstar. The star of the family. I know that he's finally able to be the rocker he wanted with our mom in the kingdom of light."


	3. Chapter 3: Bobby

**Chapter 3**

**By: MysticFantasy**

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_**Bobby**_

The oldest Mercer brother stood and slowly made his way to the podium. He stood there and faced the small crowd that had their eyes fixed on him. He was a little surprised to see such a small turn out of people after seeing how many there had been for their mother's funeral.

"I'll never forget the day that I first saw Jack." he started. "He was a real small kid and so skinny that any little breeze could knock him down. Any little thing scared him to death and he didn't trust anyone because he was scared that he'd get hurt like he had been before in the other homes. When Jack came to us he right away feared me the most. I later learned, when he started talking to us, that he said I looked like the toughest and he didn't want to make me mad so I wouldn't hurt him. At that moment, I couldn't believe what I heard from him. He was only eight years old when he said that.

"I'd been through bad things before Evelyn but to hear something like that come from such a young kid who hadn't done anything to deserve what happened to him...It makes you feel bad. Jack had gone through hell before becoming part of the Mercer family. He was always mistreated no matter who he was with. Our mom told us that at times it was a miracle that he lived long enough for her to help him. Even when he was with us, he didn't let his guard down. He didn't start trusting us until one day I caught him walking home from school and saw some school bully trying to corner him. I scared that guy away and for some reason Jack started to cling to me almost all the time afterwards.

"I was glad that he finally realized he was safe and that we would make sure he would always be taken care of. He finally started to eat with ease knowing that we weren't putting anything in his food, slept soundly at night knowing that nothing was going to happen to him and finally started smiling now that things were better for him.

"Jack was easily the innocent one of us. He hated any kind of violence and always tried to avoid it. He would get pulled in from time to time but he grew up around me so he picked up a thing or two about how to defend himself. We showed him how to play hockey and it helped him get a little tougher. But he was never the first to start something, never was the first to throw a punch.

"He was a gentle person and it showed in his face. His eyes and his smile especially."

Bobby lightly swallowed a sob that threatened to escape before continuing.

"Jack is easily the one of us that God would forgive for anything he'd done. He was the good one. The lamb around lions. His traumatized childhood prevented him from being able to do the things that we know would have made him a great achiever. We knew Jack was destined for something great. But we'll never get to know that now.

"Jack may have really been our brother on paper but we always saw him as our blood brother. The bond we had with him was as strong as if we really were blood brother's. No matter what anyone says, in our eyes Jack is always going to be our baby brother. The one that was taken away from us.

"But we'll be together again one day. One day we'll be the four Mercer brother's again. We know Jack is waiting for that same day to come. I just hope he won't have to wait long. Until then we'll continue to honor him and keep the memories of him alive.

"We're gonna miss you every day of our lives Jackie. But we still love you just as much. We'll see you again baby brother."

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The three Mercer brother's looked down onto the grave where their youngest brother now rested. Where he would forever rest in peace only a few feet away from their mother.

The mound of dirt was half hidden by the flowers and they were the only ones who remained to say final farewells.

After staring at the flower covered grave for several minutes, the three slowly turned to head back home. They only walked about ten feet before suddenly stopping and turned around to look back at the location they were just standing at.

The three were half surprised to see the face of their youngest brother looking at them with a gentle and loving smile on his handsome face.

"Jack." Bobby said softly with a faint smile.

_"Thanks for the things you said."_ Jack spoke as a soft gold and white light shone behind his frame. _"I'll remember and miss all of you so much. I know we'll be together as brother's again someday. I'll be waiting for that day when I can hug my big brother's again. I love you guys. I love you."_

Bobby, Jerry and Angel all had tears streaming down their faces hearing the final words they would ever hear from their youngest brother as his image faded into the light and vanished.

"We love you too Jackie." Bobby whispered before they embraced each other.


End file.
